Marist, minus man, marches toward

Press, 10 April 1978, Page 20

Marist, minus man, marches toward

The predicted inarch forward of Marist-VVeetern Suburbs in the premier rugby league competition was borne out when it beat Linwood, one of the most capable of sides last year, at the Showgrounds on Saturday. It was not only the margin of the 27-15 victory which impressed; Marist did so with only 12 players from the twenty-seventh minute of the first half. Mark Broadhurst was ordered off by Mr Tony Drake for an act of senselessness which will hardly make his twenty-third birthday a day to remember. After a tackle, Broadhurst set off after the Linwood secondrower, Trevor Wong, fists flailing, and his action precipitated a general free-for-all. It would have been surprising if Broadhurst had not been sent off, despite the perhaps accurate comment from the terraces taht Wong had provoked the situation. An ugly quarter-hour resulted in the time left to half-time. Wayne O’Donnell, the Marist scrum-half, who had been decidedly fortunate to escape some sort of banishment — ordering off, or sin-bin — when he leapt belatedly into the general brawl, was the worst offender. A bare two minutes after Broadhurst had departed. Wong made a burst along the side-line. With no thought of the tackle, O’Donnell — a little man — was in and felled Wong, a frustrated but disgraceful action which cost him a long spell in the sin-bin. i Above all this, however, Marist emerged as a team of much spirit and character Broadhurst’s early dismissal left a yawning gap in the forward formations, which aroused Terrv Gillman to great heights. But it was not a day in which Marist individuals shone, and it was a Linwood player. Paul Truscott, who won the McWilliams Wines "Player of the day" award. I

1 Truscott gave hl« wholehearted s effort for his team, and at the ■ right time, too, because the Cant terbury squad wag, selected 1m- - mediately afterwards. ! But strive as he might, Truscott got only a spasmodic ref sponse from his fellows and — 1 the first quarter-hour and the I I

(last apart — Linwood moved lethargically with the ball. Nor was its task made easier with the dedication of Marist to defence. Paul Costigan was notable in this respect, and there were solid efforts from Carl Wild and John McGougan. There were times when Linwood moved with real flair,! notably when Tommy Lightfoot was setting up play with his I I quicksilver bursts, and Paul Me-1

I Cone finishing off these move-! i ments. But it was a side that • looked to be sorely missing Lewis ■ Hudson, out for another two or three weeks with an ankle in- • jury, and Cliff Leney, not expec- ■ ted back until early June with complications to the wrist he : broke last season. The Marist back-line moved ‘ with much of tlie verve expected of it. Kevin Franklin, though still looking a forward placed in tile centres, took the gaps well, and Michael O’Donnell added punch to the attack In the other match. Papanui! convincingly maintained its position as joint-leader — with Marist — with a 32-point victory against! Kaiapoi. Papanui was a si range-looking! side, particularly in the pack, with only two of last year’s regular formation. But there was nothing unfamiliar about the quality of Papanui’s comfortable victory, and the manner in which the new blood was fitted into the attacking plays. Alan Sparks, the big prop, was a strong and forceful runner who seems certain to fill the position of Angus McGregor more than adequately. But the real heart of the Papanui performance came from the regular and experienced men. Kevin Williams — winner of the Jim Beam award — made a big , contribution with his strength and force on attack, even if his lack of attention to returning to position could have cost his team dearly. And Mike Godinet was as sharp and incisive as at anytime of his career. Kaiapoi had no real answer. It obviously missed Danny Millward — playing well at prop against his old team on this occasion —: land though there were some use-! I fill charges from John Green-1 I grass, he was generally well j I wrapped up.